Former Councilman Cohen Making Another Run For West Haven Mayor

WEST HAVEN, CT — Former West Haven City Councilman Barry Lee Cohen, who narrowly lost to Mayor Nancy Rossi in the 2021 election, has entered the 2023 mayoral race.

Cohen, a Republican, officially announced his candidacy on Wednesday.

“If there is anything that the last five years have demonstrated, we need a new West Haven,” Cohen said in a statement. “And should I be blessed with earning your vote and trust, I will be prepared to lead on Day One and offer ‘leadership without excuses.’ I will be accessible, forthright, and accountable. The days of finger-pointing will stop. Residents are tired of the same song, first, second and third verses. Transparency will be practiced, not preached.

“Public service is a blessing I hold dear and will never take for granted. As your mayor I promise an open, ethical, and transparent city hall, with an administration that values trust and honesty. Together, we will bring back hope to our community. Political patronage and corruption will cease the day I take office.

“A New West Haven also requires a new leader but with the right experience, willingness, and in-depth knowledge of West Haven's challenges and limitless potential to address the significant fiscal constraints, change the culture of city hall, and rebuild a shattered public trust. A leader with a proven record of unquestionable community service, local engagement, and business success is required. I am that leader.”

Rossi defeated Cohen by 32 votes (4,275 to 4,243) in the 2021 election following an automatic recount. Cohen filed a lawsuit on Nov. 15 challenging the results of the election. The Connecticut Supreme Court later affirmed a lower court’s ruling and upheld the results of the election.

Cohen said accelerating economic development to improve the quality of life for every family, veteran and senior citizen is his “absolute top priority and a cornerstone” of his candidacy.

Cohen’s platform will focus on the following initiatives: “Revitalizing the Boston Post Road; A technology corridor that will extend from Frontage Road to the Railroad station; Transforming our downtown; Strategic planning and marketing of our cherished shorefront; Putting an end to rampant blight; some areas which have become common dumping grounds,” according to a news release.

“Although West Haven is a community of immense riches, for over a generation we’ve been recognized as the city of missed opportunities,” Cohen said. “Blaming the city’s economic neglect on our financial condition while the MARB balanced our budget books by pouring millions of dollars into the city’s coffers, is not acceptable or sustainable. We should be the envy of other municipalities. Instead, we’ve become the bridesmaid that drops the bouquet.”

Cohen joins a crowded field vying for the city’s top spot for this November’s election. Fellow Republicans Steven R. Mullins and Paige Weinstein have also announced their candidacies, the New Haven Register previously reported.

Mullins is a former Planning and Zoning Commissioner who is making another run for mayor, and Weinstein is a business owner in the city.

Former Democratic Mayor Ed O’Brien announced in February that he has formed an exploratory committee for another run this November.